Adam, after his last session at AIS, talks about covert stuttering, his therapy here, and the role of stuttering in his job as a litigation attorney.
We hope that you’re enjoying the warmer weather in Atlanta, Adam!
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Adam talks about covert stuttering and the stuttering therapy at AIS |
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Rashad speaks to his middle school class about intensive stuttering therapy |
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Happy Holidays from the American Institute for Stuttering! |
We wish you a happy, safe, and memorable holiday! Thanks for sticking around. More good stuff to come…
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It’s been a great 2009 for AIS board member Emily Blunt |
What a year it’s been for renowned British actress Emily Blunt. She can look back on 2009 and remember:
- starring in The Simpsons episode ‘Lisa the Drama Queen’
- the US releases of her films The Great Buck Howard and Sunshine Cleaning
- her nomination for a Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress for Sunshine Cleaning
- filming Gulliver’s Travels and The Adjustment Bureau
- her nominations for Best Actress awards by the British Independent Film Awards, Broadcast Film Critics Association, Satellite Awards, and Golden Globes for The Young Victoria
- being named British artist of the year by The British Academy of Film and Television/Los Angeles
Many of us would think that that’s quite enough for a year, but she’s not done. The Young Victoria releases in the US this Friday, December 18.
Of course, we haven’t forgotten about her being honored with the Freeing Voices, Changing Lives award at our 3rd Annual Benefit Gala! She graciously accepted the award and shared how her stuttering has challenged her over the years.
The gala had such a lasting effect on her that she decided to join our Board of Directors. We are thankful for all of her time and support and look forward to more in the future.
Congratulations, Emily, on this week’s Golden Globe nomination and all of your success in 2009! AIS is rooting for you in all that you do.
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Stuttering in children: Junior reports on the book ‘Sometimes I Just Stutter’ |
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Chamonix discusses Board Recognition for stuttering specialists |
Chamonix talks about her second presentation at the 2009 ASHA Convention in New Orleans: a poster about Board Recognized Specialists in Fluency Disorders.
Board Recognized Specialists are individuals who have demonstrated a high level of clinical expertise in treating fluency disorders like stuttering, advanced knowledge, and a commitment to serving people with fluency disorders. Catherine and Chamonix are Board-Recognized specialists, and Carl is working toward his Board Recognition now.
To learn more, visit the Specialty Board on Fluency Disorders website.
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The Americans with Disabilities Act: How it relates to stuttering |
An AIS client who is an attorney kindly sent us the following text to explain the Americans with Disabilities Act and how it pertains to people who stutter.
What is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?
The ADA applies to private employers with 15 or more employees, state and local governments, employment agencies, and labor unions. In short, the ADA prohibits discrimination by these entities against qualified individuals, on the basis of disability, in job application procedures, hiring, firing, advancement, compensation, training, and other terms and conditions of employment.
As a stutterer, why should I be interested in the ADA?
Recent amendments have broadened the scope of the ADA. If there was any doubt that stuttering was a disability under the ADA, these amendments may change that. The statutory language is encouraging, although these amendments are so new that they have not yet been tested in the courts.
These amendments became effective on January 1, 2009. While it is unclear whether these amendments would be retroactively applied to claims concerning conduct that occurred before that date, it is unlikely. (more…)
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Voluntary stuttering: Taking a lesson from musicians |
This past Saturday, we held a one-day refresher therapy course for past clients. We spent the day working on voluntary stuttering and reviewing vocal fold management. During our conversation about voluntary stuttering, one of the participants shared a very interesting point.
She has a friend who is a professional oboe player. Whenever he has a solo, he makes a point to make a small error at the beginning of the piece. This helps put him at ease and he is able to settle in to his solo. In the same way, we discussed how voluntary stuttering can also be a great way to start speaking. As musical soloists may worry about making a musical error, people who stutter are sometimes anxious about making a fluency error.
Peter Reitzes wrote a great article on voluntary stuttering in the International Stuttering Awareness Day Online Conference in 2005. He provides a detailed summary of the benefits of voluntary stuttering and suggestions for trying it out yourself.
Do you find voluntary stuttering useful? Or, is it hard for you to imagine that stuttering on purpose could be beneficial when what you want to do is stutter less?
photo: usarmyband
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Antonio Dixon soars in the face of stuttering and other challenges |
As if stuttering wasn’t a great enough challenge, Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Antonio Dixon grew up facing homelessness, dyslexia, illiteracy, and a father in prison. His story is an inspiration not just for those who stutter, but for anyone who faces seemingly impossible odds.
Did you ever feel nervous starting a new school? Antonio attended over a dozen elementary schools. He stutters when he’s nervous, so he constantly dealt with being the new kid who stutters. To this day, when Antonio stutters, he slaps himself in the chest or arm to get the words out (AIS does not recommend this technique). (more…)
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Chamonix discusses her school-age stuttering poster from ASHA 2009 |
A video from Chamonix recorded shortly after the 2009 ASHA Convention in New Orleans. She discusses her poster and the presentation that she gave about treating stuttering in school-age children.
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